Kansas City Blog

Everything is a la carte, except the Sunday pre-fixe which is $29.95 for three courses. Much has been made about 801 Chop House's most expensive cut of steak, the 36-oz. porterhouse for $76.95. What jumped out at me more was the price of its least expensive steak — $32.95 for a six-ounce petite filet mignon. 801 Chop House just skipped the $20s; there's no skirt-steak or french-dip so a diner can discreetly order a cheap entree. This is an all-or-nothing place.

801 first opened on Halloween night, but as general manager/sommelier Sheri Osborn explained, the restaurant is still getting its feet. "At 1:30 I was looking around the room and being like, 'There's no way we're going to have this place open by 4.' But we threw the doors open and have been running ever since."

Osborne worked for the original 801 Chop House in Des Moines for 13 years. The company brought to Kansas City over Labor Day weekend and, she says, "I got six weeks to enjoy myself and go out and eat in Kansas City. I tried some other places ... We have a lot to live up too. It's a little scary."

Osborne stressed that what makes 801 Chop House different will be the extensive wine list, the service, the sides like lobster mashed potatoes and hashbrowns with aged cheddar. And the steaks. Head chef Christopher Dennis, himself a transplant from the Omaha 801 Chop House, said that all of the steaks are aged 21 to 28 days and, of course, are USDA Prime. "We also have four different kinds of oysters, five different species of fin fish.... There's an emphasis on more than just steak."

While this economy isn't a steak-house one, 801 Chop House benefits not only from a prime location in the Power & Light District (71 E. 14th St) but also the closing of two of its competitors in the past month. Plus, if there's one thing Kansas Citians will also spend money on, it's good steak. 801 Chop House believes it has the best.